Aquaponic AquaFarm Brings Fresh Food To The Table Using A Home Aquarium

Fish tanks are elegant, peaceful and fun to look at but that clearly wasn't enough for Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez. The enterprising duo from UC Berkeley have turned the world of aquariums upside down by combining the popular hobby with a hydroponic system. Thanks to them US markets now have a table-top, closed-system aquaponics kit available for purchase called Aquafarm.

Arora and Velez make up the team behind "Back To The Roots", the organization responsible for pioneering at at-home system for growing mushrooms from coffee grinds. Aquafarm is modern in concept and design, consisting of little more than a fish tank in a white enclose with six hydroponic growing units as a lid. The fish waste is cycled through the unit, fertilizing the plants above while purifying the water to keep the aquarium fresh and living.

Aquafarm can be used to grow beans, herbs, leafy greens and other fresh vegetables at home. The system retails for $59.99 and can be purchased at www.backtotheroots.com.